A love worth waiting for
by RedHotHabanero89
Summary: This is an ObiDei afterlife story. I just wanted to write something to give them a happy ending in the next world. Hope you like it!


**This is my first FanFiction story!**

 **I do not own anything Naruto related.**

 **Warning Spoilers!**

Deidara lay on his side, fingertips running over the soft blades of grass beneath him, the sun was shining warmly overhead and a gentle breeze was blowing. He watched the trees sway and the clouds drift by it was peaceful and calm. With a sigh he rolled onto his back to peer up at the sun not at all concerned with the possibility of going blind, it wasn't real anyway, "Katsu!" The blonde teen yelled softly, smiling happily as he watched the sun explode into a shower of sparks. Like a firework the giant star glittered and shimmered as embers shot off in all directions, each one lazily drifting down towards the young man, dissolving the rest of the scenery along with it. Deidara blinked as his real surroundings returned to him, the fluffy sunset kissed cloud like carpeting and the endless expanse of shooting stars and swirling galaxies of this world.

He sat up still smiling as he turned to ng beside him. "That was pretty wasn't it danna?! Un" Deidara enthused. "Yes Dei I suppose it was." Sasori answered absently he was more interested in studying the blondes face, as if sensing the others gaze Deidara glanced over at the red-head. "What is it? Un" Deidara asked curiously. "Nothing Deidara, nothing." The red-head replied with a dismissing flick of his wrist. Deidara shrugged knowing it was pointless to pry because unless the former puppet master wanted to tell him, he would never say a word about it. The blonde sighed contentedly as he enjoyed the comfortable silence between the two, his mind began to wonder thinking back over his life time and everything that had happened during his brief existence. He recalled his childhood and the friends he had once had, he thought of all the places he had seen, all the things he had experienced and all the people he had ever known. The highs and the lows, sadly there seemed to be more of the lows for the former Akatsuki bomber. There had only ever been two people threw out his life that had ever been more than just a mere acquaintance, only two who had ever made all the pain tolerable, made sense of the madness, lifted the loneliness and made life worthwhile. One of whom was sitting right here with him and the other...well the other he just couldn't bear to think about.

Sighing again only this time with a heaviness that could be felt Deidara rolled away from his friend, "I'm gonna sleep now danna. Un". Sasori looked over the blonde reaching out to rest a hand on his back he tried to comfort his friend, "Sweet dreams Dei." He whispered softly.

Since his death Sasori had been watching over his former partner. He had watched the teen breakdown upon seeing the empty shell of his old puppet body, broken and leaking purple fluid. Deidara had clutched at the broken pieces trying in vain to find any trace of the chakra that had given life to the puppet, but it was no use and the teen had exhausted himself to the point of collapse. Sasori watched as Tobi accompanied by Zetsu had scooped the limp blonde up and carried him off back to the hideout.

Deidara had been so angry when Pein had informed him he was to receive a new partner, then when Tobi had shown up with Sasori's old ring on all hell had broken loose. Deidara threw bomb after bomb at the orange wearing idiot, so much so that he had popped the stitches of his newly attached arms. Deidara had been an emotional wreak for weeks after his death, it was clear that the teens mind was rapidly cracking, fissures growing like thin ice being stepped on.

Tobi had taken it upon himself to attempt to cheer up his "Senpai" but his efforts had been futile and ended up back firing only making the young artists condition worse. At least that's how it was at first, but eventually over time Deidara did start to seem happy again or as happy as one could be in a criminal organization. He watched as Deidara's relationship with Tobi grew and evolved. Changing from a forced partnership into a genuine friendship until eventually turning into something more, something it should not have. Sasori knew it would only cause the teen more pain in the end and that was something that Deidara did not deserve.

Deidara had been so young when they had forced him into the Akatsuki, He had been trying to live his life as best he could doing what he saw fit according to his own set of beliefs. He hadn't wanted anything to do with what the Akatsuki was trying to accomplish, but it hadn't mattered he had suffered a crushing defeat to Itachi Uchiha, that had been the first fracture to the young artists mind. It wasn't just losing the fight (and his freedom to boot) it had been the first time his confidence in his art had ever wavered. Up until that point his art had been the only thing made any sense to him the only thing he had ever felt was right in his life. So it had been a major blow to have been taken by Itachi so easily.

Sasori understood things now that he had not while still living, being able to watch from an outside perspective helped. For instance it made sense to him now why Deidara had been capable of completing the toughest of missions without having any problems but would fail and screw up on simpler ones. He would seemingly get himself into trouble on purpose and it had baffled Sasori back then. Why on earth would the teen act out so wildly? Why would he make such silly errors and fail the simplest of tasks? Sasori knew now that it had been on purpose. Deidara wouldn't fail an important mission because he knew the consequence of that was death. However the punishments for smaller missions weren't as severe. Instead it was a berating from the leader, oftentimes a beating to go with it. Deidara couldn't ask to be punished for all the awful things he was being forced to do, he couldn't ask to be punished for killing the innocent and destroying whole villages at a time. So instead he would intentionally screw up and take those punishments as a way to somehow atone for all his wrong doings. Deidara didn't have a malicious bone in his body, through his mind (and views on art) might be warped, he had a pure heart. Sadly the Akatsuki wasn't kind to anything that was pure, not in any way.

Sasori had looked on from the afterlife as his former partners art spiraled into something darker. While he had been touched at the tribute of the puppet like clay beings the blonde had created, he frowned at their odd twisted forms, so unlike anything else Deidara had ever created and it troubled him. It seemed his art was being corrupted now too, that was maybe the hardest thing for the red-head to see. Deidara had lost what his art had meant to him, now his only goal was to desperately seek out a moment for his own death. Sasori had tried to leave signs for the teen to tell him to hold on, that he wasn't alone, but he had failed to notice any of them. So Sasori watched with great sadness as the blonde ripped open the stitches on his chest and fed the mouth there a large amount of clay.

Sasori knew that Deidara had held onto the hope that Tobi would finally admit what he was feeling, that he would stop the bomber from his own destruction and save him from his final art. He wanted the masked Uchiha would tell him to stay, that he needed him to stay...but it didn't happen. Deidara joined Sasori on the afterlife far to soon.

Deidara had cried broken heartedly upon seeing the puppet master waiting for him in this world. He had flung himself on the redhead and apologized for what had happened that day, with the fight between Sasori and his grandmother. He apologized for leaving Sasori behind. He had begged forgiveness, threw sobs, telling Sasori he hadn't meant for the red-head to get hurt, that he had never imagined that Sasori would be defeated by the old women and the little pink haired girl. He wailed that he had only wanted to make up for an earlier blunder after capturing the one tails and he only wanted the red-head to be proud of him for catching the nine tails kid.

It had taken what seemed like an eternity it's self for Sasori to get the blonde to calm down enough that he could reassure him it hadn't been his fault. It had been Sasori's choice in the end, he had allowed the blades to run through his core. He told him even if they hadn't split up, the outcome would likely have been the same. Sasori stroked the long blonde hair and the teen dried his eyes finally convinced that his friend wasn't going to leave him alone.

They talked about all manner of things after that, of course they still talked about art but they could laugh at themselves now for they could see that each had been right to some degree. They discussed the place they were in now, Deidara had all sorts of questions about that one, Sasori had managed to figure out something's like the fact that you could shape this place simply by thinking about what you wanted. If you wanted to be in a grassy meadow then just see it in your mind and it would appear. Deidara was quite fond of changing the scenery, and he was ecstatic to find out that not only could the cloud like surrounding be moulded and sculpted but he still possessed the ability it to make things explode.

They didn't need to eat or sleep or even breath anymore, though they both still liked to sleep, the teen doing so more often than the red-head. It felt pleasant and they were still capable of dreaming though again Deidara seemed to do that more. Sasori also told him that they could visit others in the afterlife in much the same way, just think of who you wanted to see and say their name they would appear before you. Sasori told him how he had met with his grandmother and parents shortly after his arrival here. Sasori asked if Deidara would like to see them he had agreed though he had been reluctant to see Chiyo but upon meeting her he had been able to let go of any ill harboured feelings. He had been quite enthusiastic to meet Sasori's parents. Afterwards Sasori told the blonde that it would likely be possible for him to visit his own parents if he so desired, even though he had never known them, but Deidara declined. Sasori figured that perhaps in time he may want to see them.

Sasori showed Deidara how to make the little "Windows" in the clouds so they could peer down on earth, watch the events unfold and observe any one they wished to. Sasori couldn't fathom why he had let his friend watch Tobi so closely, but the apparent disregard for the bombers death had wounded Deidara deeply. Deidara had learned the truth about Tobi before his death and while at first he had been completely shaken up he had gotten over it surprisingly quickly. Sasori knew that his friend had fallen madly in love with the masked Uchiha and at times it had seemed to the red-head that Obito had genuinely returned the affection for the blonde, but for selfish reasons Obito had kept the blonde at an arms distance.

They had watched together for sometime as things in the world continued, as other members of the Akatsuki died, as Pein attacked the leaf village and was taken down by the Uzumaki kid. Deidara stopped watching after Tobi revealed himself to the world as 'Madara Uchiha'. Deidara never looked any more saying that it didn't matter and it was pointless to watch what they no longer had any control over. Sasori would still watch from time to time but now that the only living person he had ever cared about was with him in the afterlife he didn't watch so obsessively any more either. That was how they had both missed the confrontation between Kabuto and Tobi.

They had both been taken by surprise when Sasoris body had suddenly gone rigged and began to turn translucent. Sasori had fought desperately to regain control of himself but he couldn't move couldn't blink or even speak. All he could do was stare helplessly as Deidara frantically clawed at his fading body, hands passing right through as he de materialized. He couldn't hear any longer but he could see the teens lips forming words, "I'm sorry Danna! I'm sorry, please don't leave me! Un". It broke Sasoris heart to see that the blonde was still carrying such guilt and fear in him.

Deidara had been terrified when shortly after his friend had disappeared from him, he felt a strange sensation overcome him, like the red-head before him he had become immobile then the world that had become so familiar to him faded away. It had been a huge relief (of a sort) when they had awoken side by side back in their old body's. Though they weren't thrilled at being reanimated they were just happy to see one another, to know they were alright and admittedly they were both a little excited at the prospect of performing their art once again.

It had nearly destroyed the teen to be back in close proximity with Tobi and to not be acknowledged in any way by the man not a word or a spared glance. They had both protested when Kabuto wanted to split them up to go on separate missions but Kabuto had done something causing them to lose control over their bodies. After finally being brought back together they were sent on a mission only to be captured by the allied shinobi forces. Sasori had talked with Konkuro the words they exchanged allowing his soul to be set free from the confines of the reanimation jutsu. Before departing Sasori had wanted to say a final few words to the sand villages newest puppet master, he hadn't meant to leave the blonde behind without a word but by the time it had registered within him what was happening it had been too late. Once again he had to listen to Deidara's pleading cries calling out for him to stay. He waited until the bombers soul was finally set free and when he rejoined the red-head in the afterlife, it was Sasori's turn to throw his arms around the other and explain what had happened. Deidara had of course forgiven him instantly.

All in all they were happy with each others company, Deidara was awake again seeming to be in better spirits after his rest. He had gotten right to work scooping up large mounds of clouds and started to sculpt them into all kinds of shapes. Making animals and mythical creatures or human figures he even made the two artists standing side by side. Sasori of course was there to tell him how ridiculous it was and that there wasn't anything remotely artistic about it, Deidara knew his jab for what it was and took no offense to it.

Time worked differently here, a year could seem like the blink of an eye, likewise a single moment could linger on for an eternity. However long it was neither were sure but it didn't really matter much anyway, the two sat side by side the former puppet master seeming content to simply observe his friend. There was a subtle shift in the atmosphere around them, it was barely perceptible but Sasori was a very intuitive person by nature so he sensed the presence first, he looked behind them to see the figure standing there looking at them in hesitation. Sasori looked thoughtfully at the new arrival for a moment before turning to the blonde, "Deidara... Call me if you need me, you know I'll come back." And with a soft kiss to the confused blondes forehead he vanished. "Danna! Un" Deidara shouted hand outstretched towards to spot his best friend had just disappeared from. The blonde artist was about to frantically call out for his partner again but stopped as he seemed to finally register that he was not alone. His shoulders tensed and he froze in place, not daring to turn.

"Senpai." The word was whispered quietly and with caution, Deidara's shoulders trembled as he slowly turned to face the one that had spoken.

* * *

Obito had come to in the afterlife to find Rin smiling down at him. He was momentarily shocked to find himself in his thirteen year old body but then again that did make sense after all that was how old he was when he had "died". It was how he saw himself and his old teammates when ever he thought about them. As happy children with hopes and dreams, young with bright futures ahead of them, all the potential in the world lay with in their reach...then it had all gone so very wrong.

Obito talked to Rin quickly explaining to her that he had to go back to help Kakashi one final time, asking her to wait just a little longer. She agreed of course after all she had waited this long what was just a little more compared to eternity? After finishing what he needed to on earth and a finale few words to Kakashi Obito returned to Rin once more. They talked about everything that had happened. He said his apologies for making such a mess of things, for having been so foolish and so on.

"So Obito what will you do now?" Rin asked after they had shared a companionable silence. "Hu? Wwhat do you mean Rin? Can't I stay here with you?" Obito asked in confusion. "Well sure you can but isn't there someone else you would like to see? Someone else you should go talk to?" The young brunette inquired with a tilt of her head. "...no...I don't think so..." He lied looking away from the girl. "Really? Are you sure, because I seem to remember you getting close to someone while you were causing all your shenanigans." She winked at him coyly. "No, no one." He lied yet again, Rin eyed him suspiciously. "What was that one boys name? You know the young blonde one you worked with in the Akatsuki?"

"...Deidara..." Obito's voice was barely above a whisper but his lips caressed the name as he spoke it.

"Yes! That's right, you two were so funny to watch." She giggled. "Always fighting, you were constantly trying to find ways to get a rise out of him, and he would seek you out knowing that you would follow but then pretend that he didn't want you to. " Rin studied Obito's expression carefully as she talked about his former partner.

Silence.

"What was it you called him?" Rin tapped a finger to her chin.

Silence.

"Senpai!" She shouted in an imitation of Tobi with arms flailing over head. "I liked watching you together." She giggled before asking suddenly "Don't you miss him? Don't you want to see him? Talk to him?"

"Why would I? And even if I did... He would never want to see me..." Obito's voice came out rather choked he still averted his eyes.

Rin sighed and shook her head "You really are an idiot Obito." He pouted at her words. "I know your plan started with thoughts of me, I know how you felt about me back then, but...I can't help but wonder...were you really in love with me Obito? Or maybe it was just another thing that you didn't want to lose to Kakashi?" her words struck a chord within her old team-mate.

Obito was suddenly on his feet face scrunched in irritation. "I don't know what you're talking about Rin, Deidara Senp...I mean Deidara and I were Akatsuki partners and nothing more!" He practically yelled.

"I wonder about that" she said more so to herself than anything. "If that was true why did you spend so much time together? You made an active effort to get to know Deidara...why was that? You never did so with anyone else." Obito refused to answer her instead he paced back and forth in front of her. "You can't lie to me Obito. " she said gently as she rose to place a hand on her friend's shoulder stopping him in his tracks. "If he truly hadn't meant anything to you, then why did you take off the mask?"

"Bbecause he wouldn't stop asking about it! And he was always trying to use tricks to get it off of me..so..so it was just easier to take it off! That's all nothing more to it!" He sounded like he was trying to convince himself of his own words. After a long pause Rin asked with a blush "What were the kisses for then?"

Obito turned bright red, "nnothing! That wasn't anything! That was jjust a normal human reaction to a a stupid and mmeaningless situation!" He sputtered. Rin had to hold back a giggle "That's not true and you know it."

"Senpai...I mean Deidara was just a pawn, just another pawn like the rest of them! He didn't mean a thing to me then and I have no desire to see him now!"

"So he meant nothing to you?" She asked.

"No" Obito crossed his arms still red in the face.

"So when you hugged him it meant nothing?"

"No"

"And when you held him after his injuries you felt nothing?"

"No Rin I didn't feel anything! " he was getting worked up again.

"Nothing when you held hands? Nothing when you stroked his hair as he slept with his head on your lap?"

Obito felt a strange sensation in his chest as she spoke, his legs began to shake he sat down running a trembling hand through his short spiky black hair.

Rin could see she was making progress so she persisted "You didn't feel anything when he smiled at you? When he started to return your hugs?... When he stood up on his toes to kiss you?"

"Enough! Deidara was rash and arrogant. He was always going on and on about his art! Forcing me to stay in my toes making it so damn difficult to say focused on the mission with his quick wit and lively personality, always so alive and exuberant. His passion was always flowing from him and and..." Obito didn't seem to realize that his rant had turned into complements. "...and that damn smile of his was so infectious! He made me want to smile back, made me want to keep him safe and..." Obito went silent now aware of all the things he had just said .

"You loved him Obito." Rin smiled softly at him. Obito sank to his knees "...how could I have been so stupid Rin? I was so blinded by thoughts of the past I couldn't see what was right in front of me...I could have been happy with him." A sob ripped threw his body and he clutched at his chest. "That day...I could have done something that day, I should have done something! He wanted me to stop him I know he did, he just wanted me to admit it, admit how I felt...why? Why didn't I just tell him?"

Rin knelt beside her friend and former team-mate wrapping a comforting arm around his shoulders . "So do something now, make it right now and go find him. I'm sure he's been hurting while waiting for you."

"What if he doesn't want to see me? What if he doesn't forgive me?" Obito's voice wavered, his eyes shined with tears.

"You'll never know unless you try...I think you owe him it to him don't you?"

He nodded thoughtfully, "I'll go find him...I'll tell him how I felt...how I still feel and...and the choice will be his if he wants me to stay."

They were silent for a while as he mentally prepared himself then he looked to the girl he had loved so long ago. "What about you Rin?" he asked.

"Oh don't worry about me! I have plenty of people I can visit and besides I want to stay to watch over Kakashi" she smiled at him sweetly he nodded and smiled back before standing. "Yeah you watch over Kakashi Rin, let me know if he does something stupid...like dying!" He joked flashing her his signature grin.

"Obito, good luck!" Rin called out excitedly .

He realized he was back in his adult body as he turned to find the one who had filled his once empty heart, who had brought light and the hope to his dark world. The one who he loved. He took a deep breath with eyes closed concentrating hard on the face he wanted to see he took a step forward while calling out a name. "Deidara Senpai."

It was a subtle shift if he hadn't been so accustomed to the feel of transportation he probably never would have noticed it at all. He opened his eyes and the sight before him nearly knocked him to his knees. His back was to him but Obito would know him anywhere, the shining blonde hair, it was loose now with no ponytail holding it up. But more than the hair it was the man himself. His posture and his movements no matter how subtle were an artistic flow a masterpiece in Obito's not so humble opinion. Obito would recognize him anywhere no matter how long they were apart.

Deidara sat shaping a large lump of the cloud like substance into what looked like a rabbit. Obito smiled it was just what he would have imagined the artist to be doing. Also he wasn't shocked to see Sasori sitting beside the blonde. The red-head noticed his presence almost right away turning to give him a long thoughtful look. He couldn't say the former puppet master appeared to pleased at his arrival. He felt nerves twisting in his gut like a knife. He recalled that the red-head had always been protective of his partner and he doubted very much that it was any different now, especially after everything that had transpired during the war. He looked on as Sasori got up to crouch down in front of the blonde, he saw his lips moving but couldn't hear what was being said. He watched Sasori plant a gentle kiss on the teens head then he gave the Uchiha a look that needed no interpretation... 'Hurt him again and I'll kill you, even if your already dead!' With that he vanished instantly. "Danna! Un" the teens voice cried out. Hearing that voice was almost too much Obito swallowed past a hard lump in his throat. Eyes locked on to the graceful hand that was reaching out, smooth unblemished skin, long slim fingers that could work so quickly and yet produce such flawless work. Obito longed to touch that hand, to kiss its palm and feel the blonde press his fingertips to his face.

Obito noticed the teens sudden stiffening, seeing the muscles in his neck and shoulders tense, he can sense I'm here Obito thought. If he were still a living being he would have passed out from lake of oxygen or perhaps from heart failure (one or the other) as the blonde slowly turned around to face him.

An ice blue eye gazed upon him piercing him straight through and Obito fell to his knees. "Senpai." He whispered as the angelic face was now fully revealed to him. The features so perfect so impossibly beautiful, one eye wide and shining the other hidden by the firing of gold that framed his face like a work of art. Deidara's softly defined mouth parted in disbelief. Then that angel spoke his name, "Tobi? Un".

* * *

Deidara couldn't believe what he was seeing, or rather who he was seeing, the man he had longed for but never hoped to see again was kneeling before him just a little ways off. Orange mask in place, spiky black hair sticking out over the top, black cloths, gloves on and the long green scarf wrapped around his neck. "Tobi? Un" it didn't matter that it wasn't the mans real name, that's who he was to the blonde, who he had fallen in love with. He could go by any name he wanted, wear, or not wear, any mask that he wanted, it didn't make a difference, Deidara knew him inside and out and he loved every aspect of him.

"...Tobi? Un" he repeated in shocked disbelief.

"Hhi Senpai...Tobi is sorry for making you wait." The voice was the same childish one he remembered but there was a sad undertone to it. Deidara wasn't sure when or even how he had gotten to his feet and started to walk over towards the other. The masked man followed his movements with a tilt of his head until he looked straight up into the blondes face. Deidara dropped to his knees in front of him they were only inches apart the slightest twitch and their knees would touch. Both men stared unblinking taking in what they were seeing and terrified the other would leave for good. Finally after sometime Deidara tentatively reached up a hand, finger tips brushing the bottom edge of the mask before lifting it up and pulling it off completely.

The teen gazed into the Uchiha's face onyx eyes peering back at him, smooth pale lips were turned down in grief. Deidara couldn't take it any longer he flung himself onto the taller man tears flooding from his eyes like a broken dam, sobbing hard into the strong chest of the one he had missed so much, "you came...un" was all he could manage at the moment.

"I'm so sorry Deidara." Obito's own voice was raw with emotion and he clutched tightly onto the blonde, pulling him in as close as possible arms encircling the smaller frame and no intentions of letting go anytime soon. Eventually they did pull back enough to look at each other again, "Wwhy did you come? I didn't think I was ggoing to see you eever again. Un" Deidara spoke softly his voice still wobbling. "I came...because I love you Senpai... And if you can forgive me I'd love nothing more than to spend the rest of eternity with you." Obito whispered in his ear, he had pulled off his gloves and was running a hand through the long silky threads of spun gold. He cupped the teens soft cheek waiting for an answer.

He didn't have to wait long... Deidara's answer came in the form of a passionate kiss all the love he could muster flowed from his lips into the others. Obito responded with equal fervor lips moulding to Deidara's in a perfect fit. Their body's melting into one as Obito pulled the blonde onto his lap. Without the need for air they could have stayed locked in that kiss for forever and they very surly did. Finally they broke apart Obito looked up at the beautiful angle in his arms, "I love you Deidara Senpai." He said. Deidara smiled down at the man he had given his heart to, "I love you to Obito Uchiha. Un" Each knew they would never feel lonely or empty ever again.

 **So there it is I hope you liked it, please review and let me know!**


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